Article 63 (f) could be scrapped if all parties desired : PM Abbasi

Lahore : Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Tuesday expressed his confidence that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government would achieve the mega development targets as conceived by former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

He said the PML-N leadership had shown the resilience despite all odds and continued the democratic system in the face of conspiracies.

The prime minister was responding to different queries during Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk” hosted by Hamid Mir.

Prime Minister Abbasi said conspiracies were hatched to derail the system. Any issue which caused harm to a democratically elected government could be construed as conspiracy. Intrigues were made by those elements, who did not want Pakistan to march on the path of progress, he explained.

He said Nawaz Sharif had always delivered and compared the previous regimes with the development projects launched by the present PML-N government.

Nawaz Sharif had left his office but his policies continued, he said questioning the capacity of former regimes to achieve a single development target.

The prime minister said when juxtaposed with previous regimes, there was a long list of PML-N government’s achievements.

To another question, he said upon the directives of Nawaz Sharif, they restored the prestige of politicians and parliament.

In recent times, he said, being in politics had become an abuse, but the people knew it very well who had started that kind of culture. Politicians had been the public punching bags for their politics.

He said the political scene of the country also proved that  the people did not like politics of accusations and use of gutter language. “No one will deny that there should be no decency in the politics.”

He stressed upon preparation of a new charter of democracy, including subjects like ethics and economy etc., and said that all political parties should be included in that sort of charter. There was a need to bring all the political parties on one platform.

Spelling out objective of such contract, the prime minister said there should be continuity in policies by the subsequent governments. 

The prime minister dropped the hint that his government would take initiative in that regard by contacting all the political parties and politicians of all hues.

About Article 63 (f) of the Constitution, he said that it could be scrapped if all the parties desired so as the article carried ambiguities.

To another question, the prime minister said it was the strength of the democratic system that after July 28, within four days, new cabinet took oath.

He said the continuity in the democratic system was its strength. Now, there was no place for turncoats as they always created hurdles in the system, he said in reply to a question about the past norm of changing party affiliations.

The prime minister said he would remain in the office as long as the parliamentary party desired so. The decision taken by the party members was adopted unanimously by all members of the parliament by voting for him.

Praising Nawaz Sharif’s acumen who managed the foreign affairs ministry by himself, the prime minister said that he had not seen such adroitness in any other world leader.

He also expressed his confidence that Minister for Foreign Affairs Khawaja Muhammad Asif would also become the most successful foreign minister of the country.

“We have to improve relations with all the countries in the region and with neighbours,” he said, adding Pakistan strengthened its ties with China whereas its ties with Russia had witnessed new openings. The ties with the United States required further  improvement.

About relations with India, the prime minister said that better ties with India were significant for resolving the issue of Indian occupied Kashmir.

To another question, he said Nawaz Sharif was their leader and the ministers accompanying him during his home-going procession should not be seen as creating impediments in the functioning of the ministries.

He said it was not a protest march. Nawaz Sharif was going to his home town and it was a decision of the party leadership to accord him warm welcome along the GT Road.

The prime minister said the security issues would be managed by the authorities concerned.

He said the general election would be held in 2018 in which the PML-N would emerge victorious.